


StarBound

by furrat



Category: Homestuck
Genre: Alien Character(s), Alternate Universe - Science Fiction, Ashen Romance | Auspistice, Background Relationships, Caliginous Romance | Kismesis, Flushed Romance | Matesprits, Gen, Gun Violence, More Alien Than Usual That Is, Pale Romance | Moirallegiance
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-11-04
Updated: 2014-11-04
Packaged: 2018-02-24 01:26:50
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,673
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2563151
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/furrat/pseuds/furrat
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>In a world where trolls and humans dominate the whole of explored space and a new and fragile government is puppeteered by corporate corruption what power does a lost alien have? Greed clashes with justice while firefights rage in the blackness of space in this thrilling sci-fi adventure.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Prologue

**Author's Note:**

> First of all I'd like to make it clear this has nothing to do with the indie game by the same title. It's just a coincidence, guys.  
> Second, there are a lot of ships in here but they are all minor (most are just hinted at). I'll warn for pairings mentioned in the notes of each chapter.

The planet Earth orbits a small, G class star in a lonely backwater of the Milky Way galaxy. It is populated by many types of fauna, including the sentient, bipedal humans. Their people was an intelligent one, rapidly expanding their reach around their home sphere and building a powerful civilisation. They explored, discovered, learned, fought, and conquered until they became bored with their own planet and turned their eyes skyward to the vast blackness of space, and all that might lay beyond their small world. They advanced and refined, constructed a vehicle capable of reaching their single satellite, claiming it and looking down on their blue planet. But the humans were an ambitious and greedy people and they did not stop their. They continued to develop new technologies and expanded outward across their solar system. When they reached its borders they did not hesitate, instead taking their first steps into galactic colonialism. 

Far away, across the galaxy and out the other side into the next, on another planet orbiting another star a similar story unfolded. This planet was called Alternia and its people were very similar to those of Earth, though more violent and ruled by a tyrannical line of Empresses. These queens ruled over the dark planet with hearts as hard as marble and as cold as the depths they called home. They too were greedy for new lands and riches and organised their subjects to make the first of many expeditions into the cold frontier. The Trolls, as they called themselves, had advanced quickly, discovering the technologies for space travel far earlier than the humans, and expansion was rapid to the point of deadly. They colonised with a ruthless efficiency, slaughtering any previous residents who objected.

These two powers grew and steadily crept toward each other, across the galaxy until eventually they met. Their meeting was not a pleasant one, there were no diplomatic dinners or welcoming words. Instead there was conflict and bloodshed on both sides. The Trolls, though more advanced, had weaker weapons having not had reason to refine them. All previous enemies had crumbled in their wake. The two forces met in the field of battle again and again, for nearly a hundred Earth years, until at last the Empress's own ship fell victim to enemy fire. A cease fire was declared and a parle took place.

There was a new Empress on the thrown, much younger than her predecessor and her heart did not carry the deep sea currents and granite of her rank. She agreed to call a halt to the needless carnage and proposed a union between their governments. In the decades that followed the old ways were torn down, not without resistance from some, and replaced by a new system. The Empress was joined by several humans and Trolls alike to form a council, laying new laws and paving the way to a future they hoped to be brighter for both of their races.


	2. Chapter One: The Survey

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which the story begins and a planet is invaded.

Spades Slick, ex medical officer for the Galactic Federation Fleet and hard hearted mercenary, tramped down the narrow corridor of the survey vessel, making his way to the bridge. The com speakers crackled over head, urging him on at a faster pace. He grumbled his distaste at the voice of the captain, an agitating brute who was just too smart to be blindsided in a game of poker no matter how drunk he got. He pushed open the hatch to the bridge, entering only to pause and stare out the main viewport at the most arid, inhospitable looking planet he'd ever been told was habitable by human life. The surface was dominated by vast, brown waste lands, not unlike the area called the Outback on old Earth, with an ocean taking up most of the northern hemisphere. 

"That's what we're supposed to be surveying?" His disgust was audible in his voice as he raised an eyebrow at the captain.

The helmsman's chair swivelled to let the captain return his look with hard, unamused eyes. The look told Slick that it was time to shut up just then and he turned back to the view port. The captain, known as Crowbar, didn't scare him necessarily but he was just intimidating enough to quash any urge to question orders. No point getting his neck snapped before he could collect his pay for this job. 

The rattling thud of another few sets of boots approaching the bridge cut through the silence a moment later as the other three men of the survey team joined them. The first, and tallest, to enter was Slick's old friend and business partner, a dark haired Slovak by the name of Diamonds Droog. Behind him were the two scientist, known to him only as Trace and Stitch. The former was a younger redhead, probably of the old Irish blood, while his counterpart was hunchbacked and as mixed race as they come. Droog took up place beside Slick while the two scientists went to a console across the small cabin. Slick nudged the taller man, muttering a question to him under his breath.

"If the planet is liveable they'll suit it up with terraformers like all the rest and it'll be green fields in a year." Droog muttered back, boredom evident in his tone. "I don't care what the place looks like, the scans showed lifeforms and that's why we're here."

"Yeah, yeah, I know." Slick rolled his good eye. "All work and no fun, Droog. You know what they say."

He didn't receive a reply however as the sixth member of the expedition entered and made her dominance of the situation known. The tall, dark skinned woman was imposing at best as she towered over his short, Mediterranean stature. She scanned the faces of the five men around her before cracking a wry smile, planting her hands on her well defined hips.

"Well boys, this is it." Her tone was jovial but there was a honey sweet adder waiting just under the surface to strike at any unwary enough to cross her. "Crowbar, is our orbit stable?"

"Yes, ma'am." 

"Good. Trace, is the shuttle ready for launch?"

"She's ready when you are, ma'am."  

"Alright, let's get this show on the road shall we? Crowbar, have an ice cold lemonade waiting for me. Surface temperatures read 55 degrees in the hottest zones. You've got 15 minutes to get kitted up, you know the drill." She dismissed them with a wave of her hand as she turned to study a monitor.

With polite nods the four men filed out to collect paraphernalia for the trip. Slick and Droog made for the weapons locker, finally there was something to do. Slick found the long hop between survey planets drug on too slowly for comfortable living on such small quarters. 

"So what'ya think?" Slick asked as they ran their eyes over various projectile and light tech weapons. "Mammalian or somethin' else? You got a better look at the data, what kinda beasties are we lookin' at here?"

"Roughly human in size, probably bipeds. Bring the big nets. Probably can't nab more than one." Droog strapped an old fashioned semiautomatic stunner to his hip as he spoke. 

"Whad'ya think those goons back at Chronetics do with them anyway? I thought their business was colony worlds not zoo stockin'."

Droog shrugged. "Better not to know if you ask me. Once this job's over and we get the cash it's none'a our business."

Slick grunted agreement as he hoisted the net launchers in their heavy cases. He gave one last sweep over the locker before making his way down the gangplank to the launch bay. Snowman waited by the hatch of the shuttle, slick black leggings exchanged for rugged desert camo.  

"Saddle up boys, let's make ourselves a profit." She said before disappearing into the small craft.

The four men bustled around for a minute, strapping gear into the language compartments, then climbed in, filling the single cabin to capacity. They secured their harnesses as Snowman pressed buttons and initiated a com link through to the bridge. 

"Ready for launch." Her voice was all business as she primed the thrusters. 

"Inner doors sealed." Crowbar's voice crackled through the com. "Docking clamps released. Opening outer airlock. You are go to launch, ma'am."

"See you in eight hours."

With that Snowman initiated launch and the last docking clamp shot forward, releasing at the last moment and sending them flying out into the blackness of space. She fired the thrusters and the nose of the shuttle dipped toward the grey-brown planet below them. Their speed increased steadily as they dove toward the desert below, then they were entering the atmosphere. The shuttle shook as they struck a pocket of turbulence and Slick gripped the edge of his seat. Several minutes later they broke through the upper layer and the view port showed the rocky landscape below. 

As they skimmed a few hundred feet over the surface Slick picked out bushes and stunted looking trees among the rocks. A small river wound through a steep gorge. They banked to follow the river and soon the land lowered, rock and scrub giving way to vast, grassy plains, dotted here and there with herds of something he couldn't identify. Eventually they found a flat enough place to set down, over a small outcrop from the river.

"Alright, we've got six hours dirt side." Snowman unclipped herself from her seat and stood up to lead the way. "It's about 36 degrees out there so stay hydrated. I don't want to haul you back unconscious."

She turned the the scientist to give them instructions on the samples before rounding on the hired hands.

"You two keep an eye out for anything possibly dangerous, like those large bipeds we spotted on the scan. Anything comes too close net it and I'll take a look. With any luck we'll have an extra few credits to cash in when we get back home." 

She gave them a wink before moving off with the scientists to look at flora. Slick and Droog exchanged looks before hoisting their weapons and following. 

Several hours later the sun had dipped lower on the horizon, taking the brunt of the heat with it. Slick thought he just might shoot Trace in the foot if he heard the word chlorophyll one more time. He contented himself with the knowledge that the pan's pale skin had already turned an angry pink in the glaring sun. They had slowly been working toward the river itself and were nearly there when his ears picked up the rustle of what seemed to be a group of animals a good twenty meters down river. He nudged Droog, signalling to the place, and he nodded in agreement.

"Stay out of sight and quiet. We're going hunting." Droog muttered to the other three and moved off quietly.

Slick followed, balancing his net launcher at the ready. They caught sight of the group in a clear patch of the bank, five or six individuals who appeared to be dipping round objects into the river. He furrowed his brow in confusion, what were the things doing? They were indeed bipedal, a bit like something he'd seen in a show on old Earth animals. What had they been called? Kangaroos, he thought, with powerful leg muscles capable of kicking a person senseless. Only they had been fury, these creatures appeared to have large scale-like patches covering their bodies sporadically. They did have hair on their heads, he noticed, through which a pair of horns sprouted. 

Droog nudged him, shaking him from his observations to motion at the closest, and smallest of the creatures. It crouched barely three meters from them on those weird, double jointed legs. He could see that the objects it was placing in and out of the water were like stone bowls and they were filling them with water. An animal that gathered water? He didn't think animals did that, but he was no expert. The other man motioned that it was his target and he shuffled as quietly as he could to get a clear shot with the net. He positioned the gun between to rocks and aimed carefully, he'd likely only get one shot. He popped the safety with a click and placed his finger on the trigger. The creature on the bank lifted its head and he froze. When it went back to its task he squeezed and the weighted net whipped through the air nearly too fast to see. The creature let out a disturbingly human yelp as the net landed squarely on it, its ends connecting, pulling together as the small locking devices clamped down and tangled its limbs.

The other five creatures started, looking around frantically for the cause of the sound before they noticed their netted comrade. One of the shorter beasts started toward the one now struggling on the ground, making strange crooning noises. Before he could see what it would do Droog leapt from behind the rocks and fired a few warning shots into the air from his antique handgun. The creature's eyes flew wide and four took off running, they were fast too. The fifth sprinted to the edge of the clearing but no farther. It seemed concerned for the one they'd caught. It stared at them with wide eyes as Slick stepped out as well. It made another crooning noise, to which the other replied with a screeching, panicked noise. They seemed to be communicating and Slick had the strange sensation that these creatures might not just be dumb animals. The larger of the two stepped back another pace, making more noises, as its companion thrashed and babbled. Droog had gotten fed up with waiting and aimed a shot at the rock by the thing's head. It bounced and made the creature jump. It let out a few more cries before bolting after the others, all the while the one on the ground growled and chattered at it. The tall man turned to their catch then with a frown.

"Would you shut that thing up?" He grumbled as he stowed the handgun in its holster.

Slick too rounded on the animal and drew his stun pistol. One quick zap and it was out like a light, curled in the net almost like a child. It sent a chill down his spine and he gritted his teeth, telling himself to get a grip. With only minimal effort they carried the thing back to the three scientists.

"Looks like we found your biped, ma'am." Slick said, his satisfaction showing through in his voice.

"Odd little thing, isn't it?" She mused as she ran her eyes over its grey brown skin, the colour of the rocks, decorated with lighter scales. "Well there's no point staying any longer now. We've gotten our results. We'll be adding another planet to the checklist. Good work boys, lets pack up." 

The small group gathered their equipment and the creature, still sealed in its net, and set out back to the shuttle. Unbeknownst to the humans another figure crept along in the gathering twilight behind them. The creature stayed low, watching as they loaded up their gear, and its sibling, into the shuttle. It gazed with wide, frightened eyes as the shuttle engine hummed to life and the craft lifted off. It gathered speed as it rose, angling up and away, until it was out of sight. Still the creature crouched in the half light, staring at the sky where its sibling had vanished, and slowly a low, mournful note began in its throat. The sound rose until it was a wail that cut across the darkened prairie, causing the herd animals to look up and farther off, at the edge of the grasslands other voices heard and picked up the sound. The note died as slowly as it came and finally, when night had truly fallen the creature rose and began making its way through the grass to reunite with the others of its kind.


End file.
